On 14th Dec 2015 6:39pm, Bags said:
I remember in the 1970s there used to be a boxer ho was in the Evening Telegraph a lot. I think he was called Danny McAlinden. Could be wrong there.
Just wonder what connection he had to Cov as he hasn't been mentioned here?

Ah, yes. Danny McAlinden, British heavyweight champion in the bad old days of our 'horizontal heavyweights'. It was said that his sponsors put their names on the soles of his boots. The spoof quiz question back in the day was "What was his last fight?" The answer being that he got a narrow points decision in the Mr George nightclub against Mrs McAlinden.
Having seen professional boxing live, I have always said that anyone who gets into a ring for money is worthy of respect. But McAlinden is hardly one of the legends of British boxing.

In the mid 70s we drove down to the Albert Hall to watch Danny McAlinden on a Joe Bugner fight card. Also on that card was John H Stracey and I think John Conteh. I think it was that night he won the British title. My memories are a little hazy these days but I remember it was very entertaining night of boxing. McAlinden had this huge haymaker swing, it was like watching a drunk swinging at everything.
Also on a very sad note I worked for a time at the Homefire plant at Keresley Colliery in the late 60s. One of labourers on our crew was Mick Leahy, a real nice man, but the punishment he had taken from boxing had left him in bad shape. He was an excellent fighter in his time, but he paid a huge price for his moment of fame.

I'm sorry to hear Micky Leahy (he won the British title) wasn't so good near the end, spent many a happy time with Micky (he was quite funny at times), as I did with Les Allen and Jimmy Lynas.
The golden age for Coventry boxing was in the fifties when Coventry had three good middleweights, and I was privileged to be friends with all three.

Dave Owens.
But they were nowhere near the league of three London boys in the late 80's beginning 90's, Benn, Watson and Eubank. Seems strange that the three boys, all worthy world champions, grew up at the same time, and had to meet each other. The best British boxing middleweights I ever saw, and they hit the headlines right at the time TV started to show fights. Later I met and watched hours of sparring and fights of the Eubank brothers and met that wonderful man Ronnie Davies (trainer/manager).

On 9th Oct 2016 2:56pm, Kaga simpson said:
Roger Turner. Yes Randy came from Leamington, he had a brother Dick, also boxed, but there was always that 'rumour' they were a funny family. I think Randy once beat Don Cockell but you can find out from records. I think my old school friend Les Allen once beat Terry Downes but they did have some ding-dong battles. I got to talk to Terry a lot in the eighties as he was a fan of my son.
If you google Freddie Mills and read, you will understand a little of the gangland in London of the fifties, you really had to have your eyes peeled.

BBC4 recently broadcast "Murder in Soho - Who killed Freddie Mills?" - still available on "Catch Up" I think